Maru's World 2
by Mally-kun
Summary: The continuing story of Maru Haboku...
1. Chapter 1

**Maru's World**

**A Mally-kun Production**

**Episode Two**

**Attack of the Flashbacks**

**Author's Note: Hello, and Welcome to another exciting episode of Maru's World! Mally-kun here, happy you decided to stick with us. When I wrote the original Maru's World, I had a lot of fun with it, but I realized I left a lot of loose ends, a lot of unexplained things. Where did the Original James from Team Rocket end up? How did Naru and Maru know eachother? How did Maru set up the lovely Jenny and Joy? So I decided that a sequel was in order. As the title suggests, this episode is rather flashback heavy, because that was the best way I could think of in order to explain. Another thing different from the last episode (each individual story is an episode, split into 6 chapters) is I swapped char mods for refs. Last Ep**1** was heavy on mods, light on refs. This Ep is other way around. More on that later, as this note is getting overly long. None of the characters in this story are mine, save for Maru. Chars belong to their respective creators. The title was done in varying sizes of Treasure; This note in 11.5 pt. Mariah; This chapter in 13.5 pt. Signature. Luckily this chapter is short, what with the giant author's note. None of the other notes will be this big though, I promise.**

Maru suddenly opened his eyes. The shower had tuned cold, and he grimaced. He'd been sitting on the seat in the shower for over an hour, it seemed. A long time to be lost in thought. The pat two weeks had been interesting, to say the least. After the night he had spent with Kagome, nothing had really changed between them. She would still get violently angry if she didn't get what she wanted, and quickly. He sighed, then stood and turned off the water. Sometimes he wondered if he had been dreaming the whole thing...

Maru stepped out of the shower, putting a towel over his wet hair to rub it dry as he headed into the living room. With just Kuroneko here, he didn't really need to worry about getting decent. The little black cat wandered up and brushed against his ankle, purring. Maru smiled down at him, then frowned... Something was amiss. "Oh no..." Slowly he looked up, into the wide-open eyes of Naru Narusegawa. The towel broke the sound barrier as it dropped to cover him, and it was hard to tell who was the more embarrassed.

"Na-Narusegawa!" Naru sighed, and sat down on the couch, looking away. Kuroneko jumped on her lap, and Maru went back into his room to get some pants on. "Christ! What's Naru doing in my house? We aren't supposed to meet until tomorrow, right?" He grabbed a shirt, and was slipping it on when Naru entered the room. "Lemme guess... you forgot what day it is. Right?" "No, we're supposed to meet tomorrow, on the 13th!" The young woman smiled. "Maru, come with me." She led him into the kitchen, and pointed at the calendar. "Look. Today is Saturday. The Thirteenth." The elfin man looked, then glared at the grinning Naru. "Feh**2**... Shut up." She laughed. "Of all the days to forget, ya senile old man." He frowned. "I'm not that much older than you... and what's so special about today?" Naru gave him a surprised look. "You're kidding me, right? Tell me you're kidding." He sighed. 'Just fucking tell me..." She poked his chest. "_Baka, _it's your birthday!" He fell over, feet twitching.**3** Naru waited patiently for him to regain his composure, not to mention his place on his feet. "Naru, you can't be serious. My birthday was just a couple of months ago." 'YEAH! Like TWELVE months ago, you thick-headed jackass!" Maru put up his hands in surrender. "Okay. You win. It's my birthday... happy?" Naru sat down on the couch and sighed. "My god you can be difficult." Maru hoped over the back of the couch and plopped down next to her. "Yeah, but you knew that already. I mean... we DID go out for two years..."

**1 Ep is just short for episode**

**2 Feh is of course a way to express displeasure, usually used in scoffing at something, but can be used like "Bah" or "Meh".**

**3 In case you've never seen an anime or manga, I'll explain this. Characters tend to fall over, feet twitching in the air when they are stunned by something. Yeah. But most of you probably already knew what it meant**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: This episode actually seems to be shorter than the last one, now that I look at it. Oh well. 'Nyways, I only own Maru. Other chars with names are someone else's property. There were no mods or refs in the last chapter, but it was rather short. This chapter has one of each. This note is done in 12 pt. Librarian, the chapter in 16 pt. Quill. Hope it's not too hard to read. By the way, in case it wasn't obvious, this story takes place on December 13th, for those of you keeping track. I was gonna use my real birthday, but then I realized that the Christmas Special episode wouldn't work. So Maru's birthday is in December now. Next chapter will be the last of the Long Author's notes.**

It happened several**1** years ago, when Naru was still the young star of Love Hina. Though she was in a hit series, she still had to go to school, like any other 17-year-old. So it was that one day she met a rather handsome young man by the name of Maru Haboku. He was a year older than she, and stood head and shoulders above her, not counting her antennae.**2** She was sitting in the library, listening to the newest CD from Limozeen, when she felt a hand gently tap her shoulder. She looked up and took off the headphones. "Is this seat taken?" She found herself looking into a pair of very deep green eyes, and she forgot what she was going to say. There was a twinkle in the dark-haired man's eyes, and he indicated the seat next to her. She shook her head, and he smiled, very conscious of the effect he was having on her. "Hey... don't I know you?" She sighed. 'Here it comes.' Naru was used to this. Everyone knew her, and wanted to be "friends" with her. Ever since she had joined the show, she hadn't been able to enjoy a normal social life. "You might." He smiled. "Yeah! I do! I always see you walking around with a stack of books tucked under your chin." 'Oh.' "So you don't know me from, say... the TV?" Maru tilted his head to the side, mimicking a confused dog. Naru stifled a laugh. "Should I have?" Naru lifted an eyebrow. "You've never heard of Love Hina?" "Not really..." She smiled. 'I like him already...'**3**

"Hey! Maru... Maru!" She thwapped**4** him in the side of the head, brining him back to the present. "Ack! Dammit! What the hell, Naru!" Naru glared. "Are you listening to me?" Maru rubbed his head. "_Gomen_. I was thinking of the day we met. Remember?" She smirked. "Duh... I seem to recall you somehow managed to charm me back then." Maru laughed. "I always have been a charming guy... and modest, too." She rolled her eyes. "I doubt you'd have that effect on me anymore though... I've built up a tolerance." Maru clutched his chest, miming a stab wound. " Oooh, ouch. The little lady has a razor tongue. But I'll let it slide, as I smell a potential wager." "You're on. Name the terms." Maru smiled. "I'll bet... that, without speaking, I can get you to try and kiss me. You have to initiate the kiss, of course." "No speaking? At all? Damn, Maru... that's quite a handicap you're taking." He grinned. "I think I can manage. Agreed?" "HA!" She looked defiant. "Name your price, Maru." He grinned wickedly. "As long as we're using old bets, lets use an old prize. Whoever loses is the others slave for a month." "And the slave does...?" "Anything and everything, according to the masters whim." Naru chuckled evilly, plotting out what she would have Maru do. "Deal."

Maru turned on the couch, to sit facing towards Naru. A small smile played across his lips, and a familiar twinkle was in his eyes. He looked deep into her eyes, making sure her gaze was locked on his. 'He's got such pretty eyes,' she thought as she gazed. "I feel like I could stare at them for hours.' She unconsciously wet her lips with her tongue. 'And those ears. I just want to reach out and caress them.' She started to lean forward. 'His lips... look so inviting.' Her eyes closed, as she leaned ever closer. 5 inches. Four... three inches... ever closer...

There was a loud rapping at the door, and Naru's eyes flew open, just as her lips touched Maru's. Her hands had found their way to his ears, and were gently caressing him. She pulled away, cursing, and Maru leered at her. "Naughty naughty, Naru dear. Cursing your loss of the bet, or perhaps the interruption?" She growled. "Shut up. There's someone at the door." "He smirked. "Why so there is. Tell me... what are you doing to do about it, my dear slave?" Naru grumbled, taking the hint, and went to answer the door. 'I still gots it.' Maru thought, smiling. 'Now... What to have her do? Shall I be a cruel, evil master? Or perhaps-' His train of thought was broken by Naru's reappearance. "Did you make an appointment with the landlord or something?" "Yeah, why?" "Because apparently he's ready to meet with you." Maru smiled. "About goddamn time... I went in there like a month and a half ago. Did he come himself?"

"No, he sent Excel to do it." Maru grimaced. "Typical. Delegating it to his wife. Naru, when I get back, we'll go over to your place. For the term of your service you will be sleeping on my couch." "But Maru-" She was too late. The elfin man had already slipped out the door.

**1 7 _½_ years ago, to be precise**

**2 The little antennae hairs she has. Watch the series and you will understand.**

**3 Though he's the one having the flashback, i notice that flashbacks tend to have all chars thoughts, if they're important. He's not reading her mind.**

**4 Thwap is smack. It's an example of onomatopoeia, used as a verb.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Okay, I'm going to try and make this short and sweet. Legal crap regarding characters. Note in 14 pt. Percival, chapter in 14 pt. Pegasus. One real mod in this chapter, One ref that's split into several parts starts in this chapter. **

"Go right on in, Mr. Haboku cough**1**' That would be the receptionist; a lovely blue-haired young woman by the name of Hyatt. She was wearing white gloves, and Maru was startled to see dark red stains on the gloves. 'Nah... it couldn't be that.' He stepped into the Landlord's office a bit unsettled.

"So... you've finally arrived."

"Yes, Ilpalazzo-sama**2**. I'm so glad you were able to find the time to assist me so quickly." 'It's been over a month and a half, you prig!'

Ilpalazzo sat at a large wooden desk, in a chair that looked suspiciously like a throne. 'I wouldn't be surprised if it was, with his raging ego.' Lord Il, as he liked to be called, had taken over the complex when the previous landlord had died, claiming quite often that "These apartments are corrupt!" The other odd thing about the office was a rope dangling from the ceiling within easy reach of the throne/chair. "Yes, well... I hate to keep people waiting for longer than is necessary," Ilpalazzo said with a smile.

'Pompous ass,' Maru thought, returning the smile.

"Now, what was it you wanted to see me about, Maru?" Maru noted the lack of additional chairs in the office; Ilpalazzo was sitting in the only one. 'Yes, well for quite a while my AC has been shot. Since you've made it clear you want to know about all necessary maintenance, I figured you could do something about it." Il smiled broadly, the kind of smiled an infant could see through. "I'm glad you came to me, Maru. As you know, the super is on vacation, but I happen to know of someone who would be perfect for the job." He grabbed a pen and paper, scribbled something down, and handed it to Maru.

"Thomas A. Anderson." Maru glanced at the paper.

"Yes, He's one of the best repairmen in the area. Some folks call him 'The One'." Maru grimaced, as there wasn't even a phone number on the paper. Just the name. "_Arigatou_**_3_**, Ilpalazzo-sama. You've been VERY helpful," Maru said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. The inflection was not lost on Lord Il, whose eyes narrowed. He reached up and tugged on the rope, and a trapdoor opened in the floor... three feet from where Maru was standing. Maru lifted an eyebrow, and walked out. "Hmm... Should have figured for that. Maybe if I got a chair and sat it on the door..." Ilpalazzo trailed off, and Maru stalked off to his apartment, feeling rather grumpy.

"So? How'd it go?" Maru grumbled and sat on the couch. "That well, eh?" "Ilpalazzo is his usual self-absorbed self All he gave me was the name of someone who can supposedly fix my AC. That's it. No number, no nothin'. What a jack-" Maru's stomach rumbled loudly, cutting off the rest of his rant. Naru chuckled, and he grinned sheepishly. "It occurs to me that I haven't eaten yet today. Come on. Let's go get some lunch." Maru stood up and walked to the door. "Maru, wait! Shouldn't you start trying to find this guy?" Maru shrugged. "Later. Come on. You're driving."

The two ran into Jenny and Joy in the elevator**4**. Jenny looked rather surprised to see the two of them together, and Maru guessed what she was thinking. "No, Jenny, we aren't back together. She lost a bet, and is now my slave for a month." Jenny blushed. "I-I wasn't thinking that, Maru. I was wondering where you two were-" Maru lifted a hand, cutting her off, then kissed her on the forehead. "You can't fool me, dear. I learned how to read you when we were roommates."

**1 The asterisks are to show that she's not saying "Cough" she's doing it. Should be obvious, but you never know.**

**2 -sama is a term of respect, meaning Lord/Lady... sometimes used as Darling, but I've only so far seen it used as such in Ranma**

**3 _Arigatou_ of course means Thank you, but I'm sure anyone who was alive during the 80's already knows that.**

**4 Yes, Jenny, Joy, and Naru show up frequently. While they may not be the main characters, they are some of the main supporting cast. And the elevator will show up often as well.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: Finally! A short note! First off: Legal Crap, blah blah blah. Note is in 16 pt. Isabella, chapter in a Groovy 16 pt. Partridge. Many many refs coming up. 5 in this chapter No mods. Enjoy another flashback starting NOW!**

**6 years ago**

"Dammit!"

Maru looked up, his eyes trying to focus. "Whazamatta, Jenny?" His head came up off the pillow, and he instantly regretted it. There seemed to be a tiny little man in his head, performing the fish-slapping dance on his skull. It was very irritating. Jenny came into the living room, and through pain-clouded eyes, he could tell she was pissed about something. "Howaz work?" Maru grimaced. He still was slurring. "That WHORE! I can't believe she would do this to me!" Maru pulled himself upright slowly, wincing as he rose. "Calm down, Jenny. Sit here and tell me what happened... softly, if you don't mind." He closed his eyes and started to slowly rub his temples, hoping to dislodge the tiny fish-slapping man. "Busy night, Maru?" He grunted. "Remind me never to touch that S'more flavored Schnapps again. But you haven't answered my question, dear. What happened?" Jenny sighed. "They fired me." WHAT!" Maru winced again, cursing his sudden outburst. "What?" he tried again. "Yeah. They recast the role of Officer Jenny. They-" "Wait... won't people notice?" Jenny grimaced. "No... they cast my whore of a twin sister. She probably slept with everyone at the studio." Maru's eyes widened. "Wait... you can't mean Jenny?" She smiled sadly. "'Fraid so. It's the only way they'd fool the audience. They even put in a little running gag, in case someone DID notice. They're making it so that every Jenny in every city is related somehow. Someone has a twisty sense of humor." He chuckled. "Come here. Just cuz I feel like shit, don't mean I can't be a good roommate. Lemme give you one of my infamous backrubs, Jen." She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. "Maru, you rogue. I know all about your 'infamous backrubs'. You forget I'm not into that." He grinned wolfishly. "Then how about just a normal backrub, my dear?" She smiled. "Sounds good, but remember this: if your hands start to stray, I feed them to you." "But of course. Maybe later, when my head stops throbbing, I can introduce you to someone. I have a feeling you'll like her..."

Maru came out of the memory just as they were passing McMeaty's. He chuckled, as they still hadn't replaced the "D" on the "8 billion served" sign. "Maru, did you hear me?" He looked over at Naru, and pointed to the entrance of the Krazy Taco. "There." She pulled into the drive-thru, and nudged him. "Don't you think you shouldn't put off finding this guy just for some halfway decent tacos?" Maru looked at her. "Maybe you're right." She smiled. "I'm gonna get a giant burrito, too!" Her smile disappeared. "Yes, my Master." She sighed. "You want anything, Naru?"


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: Almost to the end of another exciting episode! It makes me want to sing the Doom Song! On second thought, maybe not. Legal crap (doom-dee-doom, doom-dee-doom, doom)This note done in 14 pt. Funstuff (sing the Doom Song!) the chapter in 17 pt. Murphy Script. (Focus, Gir!) Anyways, I seem to have gone insane from watching too much Invader Zim (dee-doo-dee-doo-dee) so I will return you to the story, which has 3 ½ refs, and one mod in this chapter (Doo-Doom Dee-Doo-Doom Dee-Doo-Doom DOO!). Someone help me!**

"Let's see here. He's gotta be in this thing somewhere." Naru was poring the phonebook, looking for Mr. Anderson. She grumbled at Maru, who was sitting on the couch, watching TV and eating his burrito. She had kept pestering him about finding this guy, so he had assigned her to do it. 'Why couldn't I have just kept my big mouth shut?' she thought. 'Oh well... at least he helped me pick up my stuff.' She looked at the book again. There were about three pages of Andersons. 'This is such a pain in the- wait!' There it was! Thomas A. Anderson! "Maru! I've found it! 555-0690!" "Great! Write it on the paper with his name!" She wrote it, and moved over to the couch. "You aren't gonna call him now?" Maru was head-banging to the music, his long black hair flying. "Nah... I'll do it later." The music stopped. "Alright people, that was Mystic Spiral!" The VJ shouted over the many cheering teens. The lead guitarist of the band, Trent Lane, grabbed the mic. "But we might change our name." Maru scoffed. "Bah. They've been saying that for years now." Naru just sighed.

"Yes, Mr. Anderson. I was told your were the man I needed. You see, my air conditioner has been busted for some time now, Mr. Anderson. When can you get here? Tomorrow? Alright. Sounds good. If I'm not here, ask my neighbor to let you in. They have a key. Thanks." He hung up and turned to Naru. "Happy?" Naru smiled. "Yes, because I know you. If I hadn't have bugged you, you'd have never gotten around to it." Maru looked innocent. "Who, me? Hey... Wait! Why the hell am I letting YOU nag ME? You're the slave, not me!" Naru stuck her tongue out at Maru, who smiled. "Careful, hon. You keep that tongue a'waggin', and I just might bite it." Naru crossed her arms, looking defiant. "You wouldn't dare!" An impish look crossed Maru's face, and he took a step towards her. She looked startled, and backed up. He took another step, forcing her slowly backwards. They kept this up, until Naru found herself in Maru's room, the elfin man blocking her way out. She feinted left, then tried to get past him, but he easily read her move, and tackled her. She fell backwards, onto the bed, and he followed, pinning her hands and looking devilish. Suddenly they both became very aware of their position, and Naru blushed. "Heh. Been a while since we've done this." Maru winked. "Shut up." Naru blushed harder, and he laughed wickedly. "And get off." At this, Maru grinned even wider. "You know, I could... but I think I'm gonna need your help with that." Naru cocked her head, confused. "What the hell? You can get your own damn self off... What do you need me f- oh." Maru leered, and she shoved him off. He laughed as he fell onto the floor, and Naru grumbled. "_Maru no hentai!"_**_1_** He kept laughing. "Sometimes, yeah." Naru was about to reply, when there was a knock at the door. She hopped up and rushed to the door, anxious to separate herself from the mischievous elf. Maru sat up and chuckled. "I love messing with her like that." "Maru! It's Shampoo!" Maru stood up. 'Shampoo? What is she doing here?' He made his way to the entryway, and smiled at the amazon. "Hey Shampoo. What's up?" She smiled. "Maru, the committee and I were hoping you would show up at the potluck get-together**2** tonight. I know we all loved the Deep Dish Chili Dog Pizza Pot Pie**3** you brought to the last one." Maru grimaced. "It's tonight? When?" "Same time as always, Maru. 7 o'clock." And with that, the Chinese beauty left. "What time is it, anyway?" He spotted a clock. It was already 5:20. "Damn! No time! Naru! Be a dear and fetch the ingredients for me. I have to go to the dojo." He ran into the bedroom, grabbed his _gi_**_4_**and belt, and was out the door in a flash.

**1 _Maru no hentai _basically translates as "Maru you pervert."**

**2 Yes, there are some apartment complexes that do this. I used to live in one. I do hope that everyone knows what a potluck is.**

**3 Contact me if you want a recipe**

**4 A _gi_ is of course a martial arts uniform.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: Once again we've reached the end. I do hope you are enjoying these stories of mine. They took a while to finish, and I hope that that effort shows. Legal crap regarding characters. Technical crap: This note done in 14 pt. Grants Hand, the chapter in 14 pt. HansonsHand. In all honesty, I think I did a better job on the first episode. Maybe character mods are the direction I should take. Speaking of which, there are two mods in this chapter, One real ref, and two others I would hesitate to call refs. I notice that with the change in font and size, these stories look a helluva lot smaller on here than they did on my compy.  
**

Maru was still tying his belt as he rushed into the dojo. "Sensei! Sorry I'm la-" He looked around. "Where's Sensei?" A rather busty woman with long brown hair, one of the senior students, answered. "He hasn't shown up yet. He probably got lost again." He smiled. "Thank you, Ms. Lockheart." The sensei –whose name was known by no one- was an accomplished Black Belt. He had supposedly been on some huge journey man years ago, but this seemed doubtful, due to one of his bigger flaws: He had absolutely NO sense of direction. It was rumored that he had once gotten hopelessly lost in the dojo, just trying to go in a straight line from the entrance to his office. "He could be anywhere, then. And that means we don't have any clue when he could show up." Tifa smiled at the elf, and assumed a basic stance. "In that case, shall we spar till he gets here?" He returned the smile, dropping into a similar stance. "Gladly. Care to start us off?"**1**

She leapt at him then, quickly closing the distance between them. She threw several punches, which Maru twisted his body to avoid. He kept ducking and weaving, then dropped to the floor, sweeping at the back of her knees. She leapt over his leg, and launched a kick at the now prone Maru. He pulled up onto his hands, dodging narrowly, and sprang up into an upright position. Tifa threw another kick, but Maru was ready, and grabbed her leg. He threw her, and she went to the ground, causing the elfin man to smile. "You're getting rusty, dahlin'**2**" She returned to her feet, and smiled as well. "Don't get too cocky, Maru. I've still got a few years on ya." She feinted high, then tackled his legs, taking him down easily. He yelled, grabbed her and flipped over, straddling her belly. Maru grinned, and launched a wicked spearhand**3** at her filtrum**4**. He stopped just short, contenting himself with poking her nose with an index finger. "Gotcha, Tifa." He smirked. "Okay. Let's see just how much you've been practicing, my dear elf." She grabbed his wrist, and chucked him over her head. He landed behind her, and she grabbed his neck with her legs, pulling herself up to trap him under her thighs. She smiled, sitting on him. "What was that you said about being 'rusty'?" "I can't remember, but I do know something you might not." She frowned, twisting to look at him. "Whazat?" He winked. "This view ain't too bad." She flushed, causing him to laugh... at least, until she clamped down with her thighs, making it hard to continue. "What was that?" "Glah... sakle." He replied eloquently, and she laughed. "That's what I thought." She stood up, releasing him, and allowed him to get up. The two of them chuckled, and straightened their _gi_s, and leapt at eachother. One of the other students, who had one by one started to watch the two spar, did a double take as he saw sensei standing in the back, chuckling at the combatants. "S-Sensei!" The other students noticed him as well, and soon it was only the two sparring partners who were unaware of their master's appearance. Maru got a grip on Tifa's _gi_ and hurled her over his shoulder. It was then that he saw the master, and realized that Tifa was going to hit him. 'This can't be good.' He winced as the two collided, and a low murmur went through the crowd of students. Sensei stood up and dusted himself off. "Excellent toss, Maru. But you may want to work on your aim." Maru smiled and bowed. "Thank you, sensei. I will... keep that in mind."

The rest of the session went off without a hitch, and Maru dragged himself to his van. It could have been entirely unrelated to his faux pas of chucking a fellow student into the master, but Maru had the feeling that Sensei had worked him especially hard. The sensei would rarely spar with his students, and it was a somewhat dubious honor. One who sparred with Sensei would often wish to be poured into an ice cold shower afterwards, as he would leave you feeling like jelly. He managed to find his way home, and slipped into a shower for a quickie. He rinsed off all the sweat, then hopped out, dressing quickly. Naru still wasn't back, and he cursed. "Now what. I can't make a dish without stuff!" He rooted through the pantry, but couldn't find anything he could make in the limited time he had. He sighed, and left for the party.

"Maru! How are you? Alone? I would have figured Naru would have come with you." Maru looked up, still nibbling on one of the cookies Jesse had made. "Sephi? Yeah. I'm here alone, but how'd you know about Naru?" The silver-haired one laughed. "Aeris told me. How she knew, you'd have to ask her." Maru looked around. "Where is she anyway? I don't see her." Sephi smiled. "She's taking care of the kids, back at our apartment. She really makes a great mother." Maru eyed the rest of the party. "Yeah, I'll bet."

The rest of the potluck was rather uneventful. He talked to a family of catpeople, and noted that he had yet to see any adult males. 'Why is that? Do they like eat the men or something?'**5** Roger Smith was being his usual friendly self, lurking in a corner. Maru didn't know him very well, but then again, no one else really seemed to either. 'He's got a nice car, and some great taste in clothes... but how does he get his eyebrows to do that?' Nothing else too interesting. The party wound to a close, and he left.

He got back to the apartment, and was unhappy to see that Naru still hadn't returned. "God dammit, how long does it take to- Hey I have a message!"

Beep

"We know that Narusegawa is staying with you. You will be interested to know that we have her. She will be kept safe, as long as we get $50,000 in small, unmarked bills before next Saturday. If the police become involved, we won't hesitate to kill her. Come to Pier 13 alone with the money. We will be waiting."

Click

Maru was stunned. "They... they kidnapped Narusegawa."

**-To Be Continued-**

**Author's Note 2: Surprised? A lil bit of Drama to spice things up, combined with the three words that I came to hate most when Star Trek: The Next Generation was on. But now I get to use them! Bwahahahaha! - evil laugh. Anyways. You'll find out what happens, but only if you read the next chapter. Such a dirty trick, I know. Stay tuned. Love and Peace**

**Mally-kun**

**1 For the record, It's an anything goes style of martial arts, and Maru is a black belt. Not as high a grade as Tifa or the sensei, but he's sufficiently advanced.**

**2 Should be obvious that he's saying "Darling" with an accent. No, Maru does not have an accent of his own.**

**3 Hand flat, thrusting**

**4 Between the nose and the mouth, where a mustache would be. It hurts like hell if you get punched there, but people are usually stupid and go for the jaw or nose.**

**5 One of many things I've noticed and wondered. If you have seen an adult male catperson, please let me know, and point me in the right direction.**


End file.
